Blink of an Eye
by AmunRa
Summary: --One shot-- His grandfather's murder leads Yugi down a path of bitterness and revenge.


Greetings!  
  
This is the story I submitted to Chibizoo's fanfiction contest back in July. I had completely forgotten to post it, until I got the notice for the new contest coming up. Some of you might have read this on the contest site since it was posted for quite a while. It's a one shot that revolves mostly around Yugi.  
  
There's a link to a fanart for this story on my bio page if you're interested. The story won runner up in the angst/psychological category (yay!) and the fanart was my prize. Arweth did an excellent job with it, so you should check it out. I've also updated my links and put up a link to the new contest if you're interested.  
  
Anyway, on to the story.  
  
**~~**  
  
Blink of an Eye  
  
"Aibou, what are you doing?"  
  
Yugi looked up from his book to find Yami sitting on the bed, watching him.  
  
"I'm finishing my math homework. I should have done it yesterday, but I went to the arcade with Joey and Tristan instead."  
  
"I see. However, you do have to be up early tomorrow. You should be in bed."  
  
Yugi chuckled. He never would have figured Yami for a mother hen. It was amusing and sweet that the spirit was looking out for his well being.  
  
"I am not a mother hen."  
  
"I was kidding," Yugi said, realizing that Yami had read his thoughts. "I probably should go to bed, though. It's late enough already. I can always finish this at lunch tomorrow."  
  
"Good. I think you should do that. Good night," Yami said and then disappeared back into the puzzle.  
  
Yugi chuckled again, before taking off the puzzle. He lay it on his desk and was about to head to the bathroom when the lights went out. Yugi looked around, puzzled.  
  
"What the. . .?"  
  
It wasn't storming outside, so there was really no reason for the electricity to go out. Yugi walked to his window and looked outside, noting that the surrounding buildings still had electricity.  
  
"Weird."  
  
Yugi made his way to the bureau, where he kept a candle and matches for emergencies. He lit it and then made his way out into the hallway to find his grandfather. The candle light provided very little illumination, but it was enough to guide him. As soon as Yugi had stepped out of his room, he saw a shadow coming up the stairs.  
  
"Grampa, what's. . ."  
  
Yugi trailed off when he realized that the shadow was too tall to be his grandfather. He was frozen to his spot, unsure of what to do. He could hear his heart pounding painfully in his chest, and he felt as if he were going to suffocate.  
  
As the shadow got closer, Yugi realized that he was looking at a man dressed in black. The man was of average height and wore a mask and gloves so that no part of him was uncovered. The man made no sound as he advanced, and he didn't seem to be concerned that Yugi had seen him. Instead, he continued to walk forward.  
  
His paralysis suddenly gone, Yugi ran towards the man. Yugi used the candle as a weapon and threw it at him. He saw the candle impact with the man's arm, the flame immediately catching on the material of the man's shirt. A bright flame erupted, surprising both the man and Yugi.  
  
"Ahhh, you little brat!"  
  
Yugi ignored him. Instead, he dashed past him and down the stairs. He took a wrong turn and ended up in the game shop instead of the living room, where he had been originally headed. It didn't matter, though, because there was a phone in the game shop too.  
  
He was about to reach the phone when he was tackled from behind. The force of the tackle sent both of them crashing into one of the display cases. The case shattered on impact, sending both men to the ground. He was roughly flipped onto his back, and from that distance, as the man leaned over him, Yugi could see the charred skin on the man's arm where the candle had burned it.  
  
The man did not say a word. Instead he back handed Yugi a few times. Stars exploded in Yugi's vision with the blows, but he could do nothing. Consciousness finally left him, and the last thing he saw was the man walking out of the shop and back into the main house.  
  
**~~**  
  
Yugi opened his eyes to darkness.  
  
Slowly, as fast as his aching head would allow, he looked around the room, trying to orient himself. He frowned, wondering why he was in the game shop and not in his room. His memory quickly returned, causing Yugi to sit up. He winced as his hands landed on some pieces of glass, but worry and fear overrode the pain.  
  
Where was the man now? More importantly, where was his grandfather?  
  
A sudden lump in his throat threatened to choke him, but Yugi swallowed it down. He had to find his grandfather.  
  
He looked around and his gaze finally focused on a five inch shard of glass lying a few inches from his right hand. He reached out and picked it up, holding onto it as tight as he could without drawing blood. He was not going to get caught off guard again.  
  
Yugi got to his feet and walked out of the shop and into the main part of the house. Everything was still dark and terribly quiet. He could only see as much as the incoming moonlight would allow, which wasn't very much. As he got to the bottom of the stairs, he paused. He strained to hear anything out of the ordinary, but was met only with deafening silence. Holding the shard of glass in front of him, Yugi made his way up the stairs. He encountered nothing but silence and darkness, and stopped directly in front of his room. The door was still wide open, just as he'd left it, but the room itself was empty.  
  
Yugi was about to walk to his grandfather's room when his bare feet his something solid. He kneeled and felt around on the ground, until he touched the object. It was the candle he'd thrown at the man earlier. Yugi quickly walked into his room and relit the candle. He sighed in relief at the meager illumination. It was better than nothing.  
  
As Yugi reached his grandfather's room, he noticed that the door was open halfway. He didn't hear any sounds coming from the room, which meant that either the room was empty, or whoever was inside could not make a sound. A million thoughts flitted into his head in that instant, but he locked them out. He had to focus, not lose his tenuous grasp on reality.  
  
Cautiously, Yugi entered the room. He held the candle out in front of him and slowly panned the room. It was empty. There was no one sleeping on the bed, nor was there anyone in any other visible part of the room. The only movement in the room came from the billowing drapes to Yugi's left. Yugi frowned as he stared at the drapes. His grandfather never left the window open when he slept.  
  
Yugi slowly made his way to the open window but stopped dead in his tracks halfway there. On the floor directly in front of him, under the soft glow of the candle, his grandfather lay.  
  
"Grandpa!"  
  
Yugi dropped the shard of glass he was holding and put the candle on top of the closest table, before kneeling next to his grandfather. The elder man was lying on his stomach beside the bed, his arms and legs spread haphazardly around him. With dread, Yugi reached out and gently flipped the man over. When he managed to turn his grandfather onto his back, Yugi was greeted with a pair of open, sightless eyes.  
  
He didn't react at first. His mind was telling him one thing, while his heart wanted to believe something else entirely. He simply kneeled there, staring at the kind, violet eyes that had always looked upon him with love.  
  
In the flickering candlelight, Yugi noticed a dark line along his grandfather's throat. He reached out to it and a small sob escaped his throat at the feel of the slowly cooling and coagulating substance he'd touched. Yugi reached up higher on the throat in an attempt to find a pulse but found none.  
  
"No!"  
  
Yugi clutched his grandfather's body to him. He tenderly laid the elder man's head on his lap, and then bent so that his forehead was resting on his grandfather's gray hair.  
  
"Don't leave me, Grandpa," Yugi whispered. "Please."  
  
He scrunched his eyes shut, feeling as if the world had suddenly swallowed him whole. His heart felt as if it were about to shatter into a million pieces. He wrapped his arms tightly around his grandfather and buried his face in the elder man's shoulder as he'd done a thousand times during the course of his life. Yugi sobbed with all his might, because that was the only way to keep his heart from shattering beyond repair.  
  
It all had happened so fast. In the blink on an eye, his entire world had changed.  
  
**~~**  
  
"Hey, Bakura!"  
  
Joey chuckled as the white haired boy was startled by his voice  
  
"I didn't mean to scare you."  
  
Bakura laughed. "It's my fault for not paying attention to my surroundings."  
  
The two boys continued to walk in silence until Joey spoke up.  
  
"I didn't know that you walked to school this way."  
  
Bakura shrugged. "Sometimes, I do. What about you?"  
  
Joey laughed. "I come by and pick up Yugi when I'm not running late."  
  
"Oh, yeah, he does live around here, doesn't he?"  
  
"Yup, that's the place," Joey said, pointing at the building across the street from them.  
  
He quickly crossed to the other side and stood in front of the door to the building.  
  
"What's the matter, Joey?"  
  
"Yugi's grandfather is usually already out here sweeping by this time of the morning. I wonder where he is today."  
  
"Maybe he's just running late."  
  
"Yeah, maybe," Joey replied, but he wasn't convinced.  
  
"I'm going to go inside to see if Yugi is ready. Do you want to come in with me?"  
  
"Sure," Bakura replied.  
  
Joey pushed open the door to the shop and made his way inside.  
  
"Hey, gramps, you're running a little late this. . ." Joey trailed off when he caught sight of the demolished counter.  
  
"Oh, my."  
  
Joey heard Bakura's exclamation but ignored it. Instead, his eyes were glued to the pieces of glass that littered the floor. He moved forward until he was standing in the middle of the wreckage, still unable to process what he was seeing.  
  
"Isn't that blood?"  
  
He turned to where Bakura was pointing and kneeled next to the spot. His jaw tightened when he realized that Bakura was right: he was seeing a small puddle of blood.  
  
"Yeah, I think it is."  
  
"What do you think happened?"  
  
Joey got to his feet and found himself slightly dizzy.  
  
"I don't know what happened, but I'm about to find out."  
  
He made his way to the main part of the house and stopped when he reached the living room.  
  
"I'll check the rooms upstairs, Bakura. Why don't you check down here?"  
  
"Okay," Bakura agreed and headed to the kitchen to begin his search.  
  
Joey took the stairs two at a time and was quickly standing in the upstairs hallway. From his position, he could see that the doors to both Yugi's and his grandfather's room were open.  
  
"Yugi? Gramps? Are you up yet? Do you know what happened downstairs at the shop?"  
  
He made his way to Yugi's room and walked up to the wide open door.  
  
"Yug, rise and shine! You're going to be late for school!"  
  
As he crossed the threshold, Joey noticed that the room was empty. The bed was neatly made, which meant that Yugi hadn't slept in his bed the night before. Joey shook his head, his stomach churning with tension. This didn't seem right and he had a gut feeling that something terrible had happened.  
  
Joey left Yugi's room and headed for Mr. Moto's room. Since the door was already open, Joey let himself in.  
  
"Gramps?"  
  
There was no reply from the empty room. He was about to leave when he saw someone's foot on the floor beside the bed. He quickly walked to the side of the bed and was not prepared for what he saw.  
  
Yugi was sitting on the floor, leaning against a bureau. He was holding someone in his arms, and Joey quickly realized that it was his grandfather. Yugi's head was bent forward, so that all Joey could see of Solomon Moto was his lower body.  
  
"Yugi, what happened?"  
  
Joey kneeled beside his friend, but there was no answer. He reached out and lifted Yugi's head, gasping when he saw the numerous cuts on his friend's face. His violet eyes were open wide, but they didn't seem to be seeing anything. Joey switched his attention to Mr. Moto and felt his heart almost stop when he saw the ragged slash that had been made to the elder man's throat. Blood had pooled and dried underneath his neck, staining the cream colored carpet a dark brown. The man's eyes were closed, and his face was already gray.  
  
Panicked, Joey reached out to Yugi, who had let go of his grandfather when Joey had moved him and was now leaning limply against the bureau. Slowly, dreading what he would find, Joey put his fingertips against Yugi's neck. He breathed a sigh of relief when he felt a strong and steady pulse.  
  
"Can you hear me?"  
  
Joey grabbed Yugi and laid the younger teen on the floor, carefully checking for injuries. There was blood on the front of Yugi's pajama top, which immediately caught Joey's attention. He unbuttoned the shirt and found Yugi's chest unmarked. Joey continued his examination and found that other than the cuts on his face, Yugi was unharmed. If that was the case, then why wasn't Yugi responding to him? Why wouldn't he say anything?  
  
"Joey, there's no one. . . oh, my."  
  
Joey looked up to see Bakura's already pale face turn an even lighter shade of white.  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"I don't know. Mr. Moto is dead and Yugi isn't responding."  
  
Bakura kneeled next to Joey and waved a hand in front of Yugi's still open eyes.  
  
"Is he hurt?"  
  
"Just the damage to his face."  
  
Frustrated, scared and worried, Joey didn't know what to do. He lifted Yugi off the floor and sat the teen in front of him.  
  
"Damn it, Yugi, talk to me!" Joey yelled, shaking Yugi's shoulders slightly. "What happened? Who killed your grandfather?"  
  
There was no response. Joey let out a frustrated breath and was about to lay Yugi back down when Yugi suddenly blinked. His hands came up and locked tightly around Joey's arms, trying to push him away.  
  
"NO! Get away from me!" Yugi yelled as he desperately tried to get out of Joey's grip.  
  
"Yug, it's me, it's Joey. I'm not going to hurt you, okay?"  
  
"Get away from me!"  
  
"Bakura, help me, will you?"  
  
Bakura nodded. He kneeled behind Yugi and wrapped his arms around the scared teen, effectively pinning his arms to his sides.  
  
"Yugi, it's okay. It's Joey and Bakura. We're not going to hurt you. Whatever happened last night is over, you're safe now."  
  
Yugi blinked again, and this time, his eyes focused on Joey. He blinked a few more times before finally speaking.  
  
"Joey?"  
  
"Yeah, Yug, it's me. Bakura is here too."  
  
Yugi nodded and slumped against Bakura.  
  
"Yugi, what happened?"  
  
Yugi frowned. He then turned away from Joey to look at his grandfather. Without warning, Yugi crawled over to the elder man and sat next to him.  
  
"Someone was here last night. He chased me down to the shop. . . When I woke up, I came in here and. . ." Yugi's voice broke, and Joey could hear the pain in the young man's voice.  
  
"Who was here?"  
  
Yugi shook his head as both of his hands wrapped around his grandfather's.  
  
"He was wearing black. I. . ." Yugi trailed off again.  
  
"Bakura, call the police. Have them send an ambulance," Joey added.  
  
Bakura nodded and took off down the hall.  
  
"The phone doesn't work," Yugi suddenly whispered. "I already tried. . ."  
  
Joey nodded, even though Yugi couldn't see him.  
  
"Bakura, go to the neighbor's house, because the Moto's phone doesn't work," he yelled.  
  
He turned back to Yugi to find him staring at his grandfather. His face was still devoid of emotion, which Joey chalked up to shock. Right now, Yugi was probably just trying to process everything that had happened.  
  
"Yugi, we have to go. Come on; let's wait for the ambulance outside."  
  
Yugi shook his head. "I'm not leaving."  
  
Joey sighed. He wanted to grieve for Yugi's grandfather, who he'd cared for very much. Mr. Moto had been like a grandfather to him too, and Joey wanted to yell and scream at the injustice of his death. However, his priority now was Yugi. He had to take care of Yugi first.  
  
Joey walked to Yugi and picked him up. Yugi struggled, but Joey persisted and managed to pull Yugi to his feet. Yugi stopped struggling, which allowed Joey to slowly lead him out of the room. Once outside the house, the sun hit Joey hard after the darkness of the house and he squinted, looking for Bakura.  
  
"Joey, the police are on their way."  
  
He turned and finally spotted Bakura coming towards them.  
  
"I told them what happened, and they're sending an ambulance for Yugi."  
  
"Good, we're going to wait for them here."  
  
Joey led Yugi and Bakura to the bench in front of the game shop and sat Yugi down on it. He and Bakura sat to either side of the younger teen, wanting to give him a little comfort. After a few moments, Joey heard sirens in the distance and sighed in relief. The professionals would know how to handle the situation more than he could. They'd know how to help Yugi.  
  
A police car, followed by an ambulance, pulled up to where they were sitting. Two officers got out of the car. One walked towards them, while the other walked into the house.  
  
"Hi, I'm Officer Shelby. Could you please tell me what happened here?" a young woman asked them.  
  
Joey looked at Yugi, who was the only one qualified to answer the question, but he made no move to answer it. He didn't even seem to have heard the question, which worried Joey. The officer must have followed Joey's gaze and gotten a good look at Yugi, because she immediately waved the paramedics over. The two young men took Yugi and were starting to lead him towards the ambulance when Joey stopped them.  
  
"Wait, what are you doing?"  
  
One of the paramedics turned and smiled reassuringly at him.  
  
"Its standard procedure in homicide cases to take any surviving victims to the hospital for a check up."  
  
"I want to go with him."  
  
"Are you family?"  
  
Joey shook his head. "No, I'm his friend. His only other family is lying dead upstairs." Joey regretted his words immediately and was ready to apologize to his friend, but Yugi hadn't heard him. Yugi wasn't hearing much of anything at the moment.  
  
The paramedic's eyes softened. "Okay, you can come with him."  
  
Officer Shelby spoke up then. "Someone needs to tell me what happened."  
  
Joey turned to Bakura.  
  
"Go ahead, Joey, I'll tell her what happened," Bakura offered.  
  
Joey smiled gratefully at their friend. "Thanks."  
  
He made it to the ambulance to find that the paramedics had laid a now unconscious Yugi on a stretcher and were bandaging the cuts on his face. Joey sat on the little bench beside the stretcher and rested his hands on Yugi's arm.  
  
"We sedated him, so he'll be sleeping for a while," one of the paramedics informed him.  
  
Joey nodded, and returned his gaze to Yugi.  
  
What in the hell were they supposed to do now?  
  
**~~**  
  
Seto Kaiba walked out of his office and headed towards the conference room.  
  
He had a meeting with one of his project teams in a few minutes, and he was already running late. Normally, Kaiba was content to let one of his underlings handle the meeting for him, but this particular project was very important to him and he didn't want to risk anyone else ruining it. He reached the conference room in record time and let himself in.  
  
"In other news, a local game shop owner was brutally murdered in his home last night. . ."  
  
The television was on as Kaiba walked into the room but he ignored what he heard. After all, people died every day.  
  
"67 year old Solomon Moto was killed in a botched robbery last night. . ."  
  
That caught Kaiba's attention, and he turned to the television to listen to the rest of the news story.  
  
"Mr. Moto's grandson, fifteen year old Yugi Moto was in the house when the robbery occurred, but suffered only minor injuries. Police stated that there is an ongoing investigation, and that more information will be released as soon as it becomes available."  
  
Why would anyone want to break into the game shop? The few times he'd been there, he hadn't seen anything worth stealing; certainly nothing worth killing for.  
  
"Was he a friend of yours, Mr. Kaiba?"  
  
Kaiba turned and glared at the man who had spoken.  
  
"You seemed very interested in the news."  
  
He regarded the man, who was about ten years older than him. Most of his employees had a tendency to cower whenever he was around, but not Kioshi Mutsu. The man knew his place in the company and showed Kaiba the respect he deserved as CEO, but the man never cowered. Kaiba respected him for that.  
  
"Yugi Moto is a classmate of mine. His grandfather was his only family."  
  
"It's a shame. That was such a pointless way to die."  
  
'Yes it is,' Kaiba thought.  
  
Before he could continue his thought, the door to the conference room opened and in walked the last member of the five person team.  
  
"Whoa, Hiroshi, what happened to your arm?"  
  
At Kioshi's question, Kaiba turned to see that the man in question had his left arm bandaged from wrist to elbow.  
  
Hiroshi laughed. "I had a small accident in the kitchen last night. I slipped while carrying a frying pan and some of the oil got my arm and gave it quite a nasty burn. It'll heal in a few days."  
  
Kaiba noticed that Hiroshi seemed a bit nervous and wondered why the retelling of a kitchen mishap would produce that reaction. It didn't really matter, since it wasn't any of his business. He called the meeting to order and went about his business, forgetting everything else.  
  
**~~**  
  
"He's underage, he has no family, and his home is currently a crime scene. This is clearly a case of child protective services."  
  
Yugi heard the conversation going on outside of his room, but wasn't really paying attention.  
  
He hurt.  
  
It wasn't physical pain. That he could deal with. A few cuts and bruises wasn't much, since he'd had to deal with much more from the school bullies. The pain he was feeling was deeper, more pronounced. His heart felt as if it had been shattered beyond repair and was just waiting for the pieces to be scattered by the next strong wind.  
  
He didn't cry, however. Crying wasn't going to bring his grandfather back, so he saw no use for it. He knew what had happened, because he remembered everything, especially the long night spent with his grandfather's dead body in his arms, wishing that the whole thing was a nightmare he'd soon be waking from. He'd even managed to tell the police everything when they'd come to talk to him.  
  
"What do you suggest we do?"  
  
"An orphanage would be the best place for him, at least until he turns eighteen."  
  
Yugi had heard this conversation once before, and he'd been in a hospital room that time as well. The only difference was that back then, he'd been mourning the loss of his parents, and as soon as an orphanage had been mentioned, his grandfather had cut in and said that Yugi would go live with him. Yugi closed his eyes as a wave of sorrow hit him. There would be no one for him to go to this time. He was on his own.  
  
"Very well, I will release him into your custody. His injuries are minor, so there shouldn't be any medical problems."  
  
Yugi closed his eyes and remained that way. He heard footsteps and knew that someone was standing next to his bed.  
  
"Yugi, this is Melinda Akira, your social worker," the doctor said. "I'm going to be releasing you into her custody."  
  
With that, the doctor left to fill out the appropriate paperwork.  
  
"Hi, Yugi, how are you feeling?"  
  
Yugi said nothing.  
  
"You're going to be released, so I brought you these clothes."  
  
When Yugi still didn't say anything, she continued.  
  
"Please look at me. I know that you're awake."  
  
Yugi finally relented and opened his eyes to find a short, red haired woman with blue eyes standing next to the bed.  
  
"See, isn't that much better? You've been placed at the Domino Orphanage for the time being. Once we leave the hospital, I will take you back to your house so you can pack some things, then I'll take you to the orphanage. Do you have any questions?"  
  
'Questions?' Yugi thought to himself. 'Yeah, I have some questions: Why is my grandfather dead? Why is everyone else deciding my life?'  
  
"How long have I been here?"  
  
"Only a day. Why do you ask?"  
  
"Are you always so efficient when taking care of business?"  
  
The woman seemed surprised at the question.  
  
"Only when minor children who have been left without a family are involved," was the curt reply.  
  
"Where is Joey?"  
  
"He was here with you yesterday, but was sent home. You can see him gain when you go back to school in a few days."  
  
Yugi sighed. He wanted to talk to Joey now, but didn't argue. After all, there wasn't anything he could do about it.  
  
"Why don't you get dressed so we can get out of here?"  
  
Yugi looked at the woman, and then at the clothes she'd brought him, noting that they weren't his. With another sigh, he picked up the clothes and went into the bathroom to change.  
  
Once he'd closed the door behind him, he turned on the light and found himself looking at his reflection in the mirror. His eyes were dull and his face was pale, except for the bruises. He seemed like a completely different person and he supposed that in a way, he was.  
  
A knock on the door brought him out of his musings.  
  
"Yugi, it's time to go."  
  
Yugi clenched his teeth and bowed his head. Resigned to his fate, he exited the room.  
  
**~~**  
  
Thirty minutes later, Yugi was standing in the middle of his living room, contemplating what had been his home for more than half his life. The social worker had remained outside, giving him privacy. Yugi realized that this was probably the last time he'd ever set foot in this place, because it would no doubt have to be sold to cover his grandfather's bills. Not that it really mattered. Yugi wouldn't be able to live in the house, knowing that his grandfather had been killed there.  
  
He shook his head and headed upstairs to his room. As soon as he was inside, his eyes landed on the Millennium Puzzle and for the first time realized that he hadn't been wearing it. He went over to it and slipped it on. Immediately, he felt Yami's concern.  
  
*Aibou, are you okay? I was not able to communicate with you and was afraid something had happened to you*  
  
Yugi sighed.  
  
** I'm fine, Yami**  
  
He ignored further attempts at communication and instead slowly walked to his grandfather's room. He stood in the doorway for a long time before actually going inside. When he got to the side of the room where he'd found his grandfather, Yugi stopped. His breath caught in his throat and he would have lost it if a tiny, white plastic card under the bed hadn't caught his attention. It seemed so out of place in the room that Yugi picked it up and examined it closely.  
  
"Kaiba Corporation," he read, studying the intricate logo. "Employees must have card at all times for entry into research labs."  
  
Why was there a Kaiba Corp. security card under his grandfather's bed? Did the guy who had killed his grandfather work there?  
  
*Yugi, what is going on?*  
  
Yugi ignored the spirit's question. He could feel Yami's distress and worry and felt guilty about keeping him in the dark. However, he couldn't voice what had happened. If he did, he was afraid that he wouldn't be able to recover.  
  
*You don't have to tell me, aibou, just allow me access to your memories*  
  
The request was elegantly simple and Yugi agreed to it. He opened his mind to Yami, letting the spirit see what had happened, which forced Yugi to relive the events as well. When Yami was done and Yugi came back to himself, tears were streaming down his cheeks. His chest felt tight and he wanted to scream at the injustice of it all.  
  
*Oh, Yugi. . .*  
  
Yugi heard the soft comment, but didn't pay attention to it. Instead, he went to his grandfather's bureau, where his eyes landed on a picture of the both of them taken a month ago at a gaming convention. Yugi picked it up and studied every detail of it.  
  
"You lied," Yugi finally said, his voice cracking as he stared at his grandfather's smiling face in the picture. "You said you'd never leave me, you said I'd never be alone. You said you'd always be here, but you left anyway!"  
  
Yugi yelled the last part, and then fell to his knees, clutching the picture to his chest. He was wracked with sobs as all the pent up emotion of the last couple of days left him in a rush that took his breath away.  
  
"You left me," Yugi sobbed. "I'm all alone now."  
  
Suddenly, Yugi felt a feather soft touch on his arms and looked through teary eyes to see Yami. The spirit's arms encircled him, and Yugi was surprised to feel that they were solid.  
  
"I am sorry for your loss, Yugi. Your grandfather was a good man, but as long as I am with you, you will never be alone."  
  
Yami's eyes were full of sorrow, which made Yugi cry harder. Yami pulled Yugi towards him and tightly embraced him. Yugi buried his face in Yami's chest and cried.  
  
"I promise you, Yugi. As long as I am around, you will never be alone."  
  
****  
  
It was only an hour ago It was all so different then Nothing yet has really sunk in Looks like it always did This flesh and bone It's just the way you would tie in Now there's no one home  
  
The small cemetery was quiet as Yugi entered it. He shivered slightly, but it wasn't from the cold. Ahead of him, Yugi could see the small group of mourners that had gathered around his grandfather's final resting place. His friends were there as well, which Yugi was glad for. He walked towards them on automatic, but stopped as soon as he saw the casket. His heart sped up and his breath came in short gasps. He clutched at his chest, willing his lungs to expand.  
  
"Yugi?"  
  
He shook his head. "I can't do this."  
  
His soft words drew the attention of his friends, who immediately made their way towards him. Tea reached him first, and he could see tears already running down her face. She came up to him and hugged him.  
  
"Oh, Yugi, I'm so sorry," she said, her voice muffled by his shoulder. "We're all here for you."  
  
Yugi nodded. He wanted to hug her back, but his arms refused to leave his side. Instead, he let her hold him for a little while. When she released him, the rest of his friends were there, all sporting various degrees of sorrow on their faces. They nodded to him, and Yugi nodded back. He knew he didn't need to say anything, because they would understand. They all began to make their way back to the burial site, but Joey stopped when he realized that Yugi wasn't with them.  
  
Joey looked at him questioningly and waited. Yugi took a deep breath, attempting to calm himself. When he spoke, however, his voice wavered.  
  
"I don't think I can do this, Joey. I. . ."  
  
Joey's eyes softened and he put a reassuring arm around Yugi.  
  
"We're all here for you, Yugi, so you don't have to do this alone. We can get through it together."  
  
Joey gently led him forward until he was standing in front of his grandfather's coffin.  
  
I grieve for you You leave me It's so hard to move on Still loving what's gone They said life carries on Caries on and on and on and on  
  
When the priest began to speak, Yugi stared at the ground and tuned him out. No matter what the man said, how he rationalized brutal murder, nothing would make losing his grandfather okay. After what seemed like an eternity, Yugi felt someone gently shaking him. He looked up to see Joey's concerned face. Yugi frowned, and Joey turned him slightly to where the priest was looking at him expectantly.  
  
"Mr. Moto, would you like to say a few words?"  
  
Yugi's first response was to say no, but he stopped himself before the words left his mouth. He owed his grandfather a great deal for everything he'd done. The least Yugi could do was say a few words.  
  
The news that truly shocks Is the empty, empty page While the final rattle rocks It's empty, empty cage And I can't handle this  
  
"Solomon Moto was a good, kind, and devoted man," Yugi finally said. "He was an explorer, a lover of ancient history and an admirer of games. His kind heart knew no bounds, whether it was helping a stranger, or taking in a six year old who had been left with no parents."  
  
Yugi's voice broke and he fought to keep himself from breaking down. His hands were clenched so tightly that he could feel his nails biting into the palms of his hands. The physical pain helped ground him and he welcomed it. He took several deep breaths and when he felt more in control, he began to speak again.  
  
"I loved my grandfather dearly and I will miss him very much."  
  
I grieve for you You leave me Let it out and move on Missing what's gone They say life carries on Carries on and on and on and on  
  
He looked up into the faces of those that had come and saw that a few had tears in their eyes. He felt like crying himself, but wasn't going to do that. It was his duty to carry on his family name now, and he would do it proudly like a strong man, not a weak child.  
  
When the ceremony was over, a few people came to him and gave him their condolences. Yugi felt slightly guilty for not being able to say anything in response, but they seemed to understand. After a while, only his friends and the social worker remained. After a few more words of comfort from Joey, Tea, Tristan and Bakura, they, too, left, until only the social worker remained.  
  
"So now what?" Yugi asked.  
  
The social worker gave him a sad smile.  
  
"Now I take you to your new home."  
  
**~~**  
  
Six months later  
  
"We have arrived, Mr. Kaiba."  
  
Kaiba nodded to the driver, but still remained in the car even after the man had opened the door for him. When he realized he couldn't put it off any longer, he got out of the car.  
  
"Pick me up in an hour."  
  
"Yes, Mr. Kaiba."  
  
He turned and walked into the building in front of him, not for the first time wondering why he still came here. Kaiba Corporation's relationship with the Domino Orphanage dated back to before he was even a Kaiba. After all, it was in this orphanage that Gozaburo had found him. Kaiba Corp. had been donating money to the orphanage for a long time, so Kaiba had seen no reason to stop the donations when he'd become CEO. He could handle writing the checks every year, but he wasn't as good at handling the visits to see how the orphanage was using the money. A small part of him still remembered what it was like to live here, and it wasn't something that he liked to recall.  
  
"It's good to see you again, Mr. Kaiba. I'll be glad to show you around."  
  
Kaiba nodded and followed the woman. Mrs. Wilson had been dealing with him during his visits since he'd taken over the company and knew that he wasn't one for small talk. She gave him a detailed report of what the orphanage had done with the money his company had donated, showed him around and then let him go. Kaiba appreciated her for that and tried to make the visit as unobtrusive for her as he could.  
  
As they were said their goodbyes and Mrs. Wilson reassured him that the money had been well used, Kaiba noticed a boy seated by himself outside by one of the trees. He really couldn't see who it was, but it reminded him so much of what he used to do when he was here that once he left the orphanage, he made his way over to the tree. He was halfway there when the boy shifted, giving Kaiba a view of his wild hair.  
  
He was surprised to see Yugi Moto, although he shouldn't have been. He'd overheard conversations at school which stated that Yugi had been placed at the orphanage, but it was still unexpected to see him. Before Mr. Moto had been killed, Kaiba hadn't been able to avoid the younger duelist. It seemed that Yugi was everywhere, talking to everyone. Now, however, Yugi did his best to avoid everyone, even his friends. Kaiba had seen Yugi with Wheeler and Bakura a few times, but was usually by himself. He had stopped dueling too, which was another reason Kaiba didn't see him around anymore. It was as if Yugi had given up everything he'd loved when he'd buried his grandfather.  
  
"Are you through staring at me?"  
  
The voice completely caught him off guard, and Kaiba blinked in surprise. He found himself facing an annoyed Yugi, who'd come out from behind the tree and was now standing in front of him.  
  
Yugi's demeanor had also completely changed. He was no longer the nice, sweet and trusting guy he used to be. He wasn't rude or abrasive either, but he was aloof and disinterested most of the time. He was more confrontational as well, and Kaiba wondered if the spirit of the puzzle had finally gotten his way with Yugi. Then again, most of the time Yugi didn't wear the puzzle, so Yami might not have as much influence over him anymore.  
  
"The last I heard, you didn't have exclusive rights to this part of the orphanage."  
  
Yugi smirked. "No, I guess not. Besides, you probably have better things to do than to stare at me."  
  
Yugi turned and began to walk away, but he stopped and faced Kaiba.  
  
"Is the tour over? Was everyone on their best behavior?"  
  
Kaiba frowned at the sarcastic question, and then realized the reason for it. "You were all probably told to behave for when I came, right? They would do that when I was here too, when Gozaburo Kaiba came to visit. Mokuba always had a hard time staying still and behaving."  
  
He didn't know why he'd said that, but he was rewarded by a flicker of the old Yugi, the one who felt sadness at other's pain and misfortune. It was only a brief moment, but at least it signified that the old Yugi was still in there somewhere.  
  
Yugi shrugged. "I told Mrs. Wilson I saw enough of you at school so it was unnecessary for me to be inside for the tour."  
  
Kaiba nodded. He remembered how they used to line them up so Gozaburo could see them. They still did that, except that this time, he was the one inspecting. Yugi was probably the oldest kid in the orphanage, which in itself made it unnecessary for him to be around. He was too old to be adopted anyway.  
  
"Sounds reasonable."  
  
Yugi turned again to walk away, but Kaiba stopped him. "Are you still coming to my house this afternoon?"  
  
"Why?" Yugi asked, not bothering to face him.  
  
That was odd. It wasn't like Yugi to forget school assignments.  
  
"The assignment we have to work on. I told Mrs. Richter that we'd work on it together at my house and she said she'd talk to you about it. Did she forget?"  
  
"No, she told me. I'll be there."  
  
Yugi began to walk away, and Kaiba walked to him so that they were both heading back towards the orphanage.  
  
"I'm heading home as soon as my driver gets here. Why don't you just come with me? That way, we'll have plenty of time to do the assignment."  
  
Yugi stopped and turned to him, his face a mask of barely concealed anger.  
  
"What, I'm not capable of getting somewhere on my own now? I know where you live, Kaiba, and I know how to take a bus. I'll be there."  
  
Kaiba's jaw tightened. "Fine. The bus is where you belong anyway."  
  
Kaiba turned, and saw his car waiting for him at the end of the drive. He quickly walked over to it, got in and slammed the door. Why did he even bother?  
  
**~~**  
  
Yugi heard tires squealing and turned in time to see Kaiba's limo peel out of the driveway. Kaiba had looked pretty pissed off, which a part of Yugi felt bad about. The other part of him, the more recent part of him, however, thought Kaiba deserved it.  
  
Yugi looked down at the puzzle he was wearing around his neck and felt a flicker of guilt. He was so tired of dealing with people. Why couldn't they just leave him alone? When he was by himself he didn't have to pretend that he was the strong, confident one in complete control of his life. He didn't have to be perfect and cheery, he could be sullen and sad if he wanted and no one would feel bad because of it. But no, no one left him alone. Besides, he needed to be alone to find the man who'd killed his grandfather. The police hadn't done anything, so it had become Yugi's responsibility to find him.  
  
He walked into the orphanage and headed to where he slept to pick up his backpack. There was a reason he had agreed to go to Kaiba's mansion. He really didn't care about the assignment, but he wanted to get his hands on one of Kaiba's computers. For the last six months, even since finding the Kaiba Corp. security card under his grandfather's bed, Yugi had learned everything he could about the company and their security. He'd tried to find who the card belonged to using the employee number on the card, but he hadn't been able to access the employee roster for the company from an outside computer. Yugi had every confidence that Kaiba wouldn't have that problem, since he'd need to keep tabs on his employees from home. All Yugi needed to do was get Kaiba to let him borrow a computer and log onto the Kaiba Corp. mainframe for there. After that, everything was set.  
  
*What you are doing is wrong, aibou, and you know it. Revenge will only lead to heartache.*  
  
Yugi sighed. That was the reason he stopped wearing the Millennium Puzzle most of the time. Yami had become an annoying nag and Yugi had no desire to listen to him. Initially, he'd asked the spirit of the puzzle to help him with his plan, but from the beginning, Yami had been opposed to it. Because of Yami's reaction, he'd never told Joey or any of his friends, and it'd gotten to the point where it became a waste of time to talk to them. They had no idea what was going on, and it had become increasingly hard for Yugi to pretend that he was okay, that his life was just fine. It became easier to be alone with only Yami as occasional company.  
  
*It does not have to be like this, Yugi. Your friends want to help you, I want to help you. All you have to do is let us.*  
  
Yugi walked into the room he shared with three other boys and picked up his bag. Everything was already in there so he didn't have to waste any time. He quickly left the orphanage and made his way to Kaiba's mansion.  
  
**You want to help me with what, Yami? The one thing I could really use your help on you won't help**  
  
*How is killing the man that killed your grandfather going to change anything?*  
  
The question was so out of the blue that Yugi actually stopped and retreated into his soul room. He jerked the door open and without waiting to be invited into Yami's soul room, let himself in. He found Yami standing in the middle of the room, his arms crossed.  
  
"What do you mean kill? I never said anything about killing anyone!"  
  
Yami gave him a meaningful glance, before walking towards him. "Are you sure, aibou? Your subconscious mind is very determined to eliminate the man."  
  
That made Yugi angry. "Oh, so you've been poking around in my head while I slept? That's really nice, Yami. You have not only become a nag, you're a snoop too."  
  
"Your anger only serves to tell me that I am correct, Yugi. Tell me, why have you devoted the last six months, at the expense of everyone, including yourself, to finding out who this man is? What other purpose could you possibly have?" Yami paused, and then pointed to the bag on Yugi's shoulder. "Why do you carry a gun in your bag?"  
  
Yugi gasped. He'd hoped to keep that particular thing from Yami, but if the spirit had been snooping around in his head while he wasn't aware of it, who knows what else he had found.  
  
"What does it matter anyway? If anything happens to me, I'll make sure that someone else gets the puzzle, okay? You won't be trapped in here for another millennium."  
  
Yugi was about to will himself out of the room when Yami's voice stopped him.  
  
"I don't want another host, Yugi. I want you. I want the old you back. Please, don't do this."  
  
Yugi turned away and left the soul room, before finding himself back on the street. He couldn't take the time to dwell on Yami, he had to do what he'd set to do. Nothing was going to stop him.  
  
**~~**  
  
Yami watched Yugi leave, feeling like a failure.  
  
He had promised Yugi that he would be there for him no matter what, and he'd failed. Yugi had spiraled down into the depths of despair so fast that by the time Yami had realized it, it was too late to turn Yugi back. Then the thoughts of revenge had begun and had eventually taken over Yugi's life. Yami had confronted Yugi about it. He'd even taken over without Yugi's consent once when Yugi had been about to do something stupid, which had led to Yugi's refusal to wear the puzzle every day. He kept it with him when he wasn't wearing it, so at least Yami was able to keep tabs on his aibou.  
  
He should have done more. He would do more now, if only Yugi would let him. Yugi's mindset had deteriorated so much that Yami was afraid he'd never be able to reason with Yugi ever again.  
  
**~~**  
  
"So are we clear on the assignment? Yugi?"  
  
Yugi jerked himself out of his thoughts and glared at Kaiba.  
  
"Yeah, I'm not stupid. We're supposed to research a prominent company in town and follow its progress for a month, and then write a report. Since you just happen to own one, and Mrs. Richter hates me, I'm stuck working with you researching your company."  
  
"That's one way of putting it. In front of you are the fiscal reports for Kaiba Corp. for the last two months. Since you said you'd handle the finance part of it, I'll write my report about the manufacturing that we do. "  
  
Yugi looked down at the thick, leather bound books in front of him and groaned. He didn't want to do this. He could care less about Kaiba Corp.'s finances. All Yugi needed to know about that was that Kaiba was richer than he'd ever be, which meant that the company made a lot of money.  
  
Further conversation was halted by the entrance of a distressed looking woman.  
  
"Mr. Kaiba, something has come up with the VR project. I think you should take a look."  
  
Yugi looked at Kaiba, whose face went pale.  
  
"I have to take care of this, Yugi. Read through the reports. You can use the computers in the next room for further research if you need to," he said, and quickly made his way out of the den.  
  
Yugi watched him go. When Kaiba was out of sight, Yugi grinned. It couldn't get any easier than this.  
  
Immediately, he went to the room Kaiba had pointed out and sat at one of the state of the art computers. He proceeded to the Kaiba Corp. site, from which there was an interface for employees to log on to their secure information. Yugi's problem up to this point had been that only certain computers were cleared to access the site. The computer at the orphanage wasn't part of the network, but Yugi had no doubt that this one would be.  
  
When he clicked on the appropriate page, Yugi was rewarded with a log in screen. He didn't have a user name or password, but he did have an employee number. After some searching, Yugi found a way to log on using the number alone. Once he had managed that, he found himself looking at the employee records of Hiroshi Rumi, age 25, programming specialist currently assigned to Kaiba Corp.'s newest virtual reality project. A picture came up with the data, and Yugi saw a fairly average, nondescript man staring back at him.  
  
Yugi's fingers tightened on the mouse to the point where the abused instrument began to creak. He let go of it, and concentrated on reading everything about the man who had destroyed his life. Nothing in the file indicated that the man was a cold blooded killer, which Yugi supposed was fitting. It wasn't going to stay that way for long, though. Yugi would make sure that everyone knew what this man had done.  
  
A link to the man's work schedule caught Yugi's eye, and he clicked on it. He read through it quickly, stopping only when he realized that Hiroshi was at Kaiba Corp. right now. Yugi had been with Kaiba for a few hours, so by now it was dark. There would not be many people at the company at this hour, which would be the perfect time to pay him a visit.  
  
Smiling bitterly, Yugi logged out of the site and shut down the computer. He was about to get up from his chair when footsteps caught his attention. If that was Kaiba, Yugi hoped he had managed to shut the computer down in time.  
  
"Hey Yugi."  
  
Yugi breathed a sigh of relief when he heard Mokuba's voice instead of his elder brother's.  
  
"Hi, Mokuba. How are you?" Yugi asked, not wanting to draw attention to the fact that he was desperate to get out of the house.  
  
"I'm good. How about you?"  
  
Yugi chuckled. "I think my night just got better," he replied. "Sorry, Mokuba, but I have to go. I'm supposed to meet with Joey at the arcade."  
  
Mokuba grinned. "Oh, okay. Have fun!" he said, and left the room.  
  
Yugi picked up his bag and walked out of the house as quickly as he could. After six long months, the time had finally come.  
  
**~~**  
  
"What exactly is the problem, people? I don't see it."  
  
Kaiba sighed. Sometimes, his people could be complete idiots. He looked around his office, already feeling a headache coming on.  
  
"The program has crashed, Mr. Kaiba. It will no longer run on the VR machines," Hiroshi stated.  
  
"So fix it, then. You're all qualified programmers, right? Debug it, change the code if you have to, but make it run."  
  
"Okay. I just wanted to make sure it would be okay with you, since it is your code."  
  
Kaiba chuckled bitterly. "Just fix it."  
  
He ended the connection quickly, before the man could take up more of his time. He was about to get up from his desk when he noticed that a small window had opened on the bottom right of the screen. Kaiba clicked on it and saw an access report. Because his network was always a target for hackers, he kept it completely guarded at all times. Whenever anyone, no matter who it was, logged onto the system, it was reported. He wasn't the one that usually got these reports, however, unless the Kaiba Corp. mainframe had been accessed from the mansion. When that was the case, he was the one accessing it.  
  
Kaiba maximized the window and read the report. Someone had accessed the mainframe from the den on the first floor and had looked at the personnel file for one of his researchers. He tried to think who'd been there, and the only one he could come up with was Yugi. Why would Yugi want to access Kaiba Corp.'s mainframe? More importantly, how would he know to do it from here? Why would Yugi be interested in Hiroshi Rumi? Kaiba decided to go directly to the source for the answers. He left his office and quickly walked to the den, running into Mokuba along the way.  
  
"Is Yugi still in the den, Mokuba?"  
  
"No. He left a little while ago. He said he had to meet Joey at the arcade."  
  
Kaiba frowned. He seriously doubted Yugi had gone to the arcade in months, especially not with Wheeler. Why was Yugi lying? What did he want with the company or with Rumi?  
  
"I need to go to work for a little while, Mokuba. I'll be back as soon as I can."  
  
He made his way out and got into his car. He didn't know why, but he had a bad feeling about this. He reached the company in record time and stopped at the security desk in the lobby of the building.  
  
"Is Hiroshi Rumi still in the research lab?" he asked the guard.  
  
The man looked at his log and nodded. "Yes, he is. In fact, he just arrived a few minutes ago."  
  
"Thank you," Kaiba said, and ran to the elevator.  
  
He'd been talking to Rumi a half hour ago in the lab, so there was no way he had just arrived. Yugi was definitely up to something, but Kaiba couldn't understand how he'd managed to get a hold of Rumi's security card to gain access to the building. He waited impatiently for the elevator to take him down to the labs and almost sprinted out of the elevator when the doors finally opened. He slowed down, however, wanting to make a surprise entrance, just in case. Kaiba headed directly to where Rumi was working alone tonight, and stopped when he heard Yugi's voice.  
  
"Surprised to see me, I gather. I bet you never thought I'd find you."  
  
Kaiba was beyond confused now. Yugi knew the guy?  
  
"What are you talking about? Who are you?"  
  
Yugi laughed, and Kaiba couldn't help but shiver at the sound.  
  
"Ah, so you're going to play the innocent one, huh? You may not remember me, but I remember you. You called me a brat when I threw a candle at you, remember? I bet that left a nasty little scar on your arm."  
  
"Listen, kid, I don't know how you got in here or what you want, but you have to leave."  
  
'Is that fear in Rumi's voice?' Kaiba wondered.  
  
"Oh, I got in using this!" Yugi exclaimed. "I bet you've been missing this, though. It's your security card. The one you dropped under my grandfather's bed when you killed him."  
  
Kaiba's eyes widened. What the hell was going on?  
  
"Oh, come on, Hiroshi. There's no one here but you and me. Why don't you go ahead an admit it. Better yet, tell me why."  
  
There was a long silence, which Kaiba used to get closer to the window. He saw Rumi standing next to a bank of computers while Yugi stood directly in front of him.  
  
"Why what?"  
  
Yugi shook his head. He reached into his bag and Kaiba was shocked to see a gun appear in his hand.  
  
"Don't play stupid, it doesn't suit you. Why did you kill my grandfather?!?"  
  
**~~**  
  
Yugi was shaking so badly that he was having trouble keeping the gun steady, even while gripping it with both hands. He'd taken the puzzle off and put it in his bag when he left Kaiba's house, because he'd been afraid that Yami would take over once he got here. He had been right to do so, because he could hear Yami yelling at him to stop, to put the gun down and leave. Yugi couldn't do that. He had to know why this man had killed his grandfather.  
  
"Why did you kill him? What did you want?"  
  
He could see fear in the older man's eyes, and it satisfied a part of him. Another part was screaming that this whole thing was wrong, that he wasn't this kind of person and should leave. It was too late now, though, and Yugi wasn't about to leave until he'd gotten what he wanted.  
  
"Tell me!"  
  
Hiroshi actually backed away, until Yugi took a step closer to him, the gun aimed directly at his chest.  
  
"It wasn't personal," Hiroshi finally said, his voice trembling. "I was high on drugs and just broke in. I was looking for money. I didn't think anyone was awake. Then you came out and freaked me out. Then the old man found me looking through his stuff and attacked me. Before I knew what had happened, he was dead."  
  
Yugi digested this, feeling his anger completely take over. He wanted to pull the trigger so much.  
  
"Drug money? You killed my grandfather for drug money? What kind of a sick bastard are you?" Yugi yelled. He could feel his finger squeezing the trigger and wouldn't regret it if he ended up doing it. "You took an innocent man's life and ruined mine, all because you wanted drug money?"  
  
"I'm sorry, okay, I'm sorry! I didn't mean it, it was an accident!"  
  
"Sorry? You're sorry? That's supposed to make me feel better?" the anger was all he felt now. Nothing else mattered. "Sorry just isn't good enough." He began to press the trigger, when a booming voice stopped him.  
  
"Yugi, don't!"  
  
Yugi turned to find Kaiba standing a few feet away from him, his hand extended.  
  
"Give me the gun, Yugi. You don't want to do this."  
  
"How do you know what I want to do, Kaiba? You have no clue!"  
  
Kaiba's face darkened. "Don't I? My parents are dead, remember? They, too, were killed senselessly. I wanted nothing more than to track the bastard that killed them and make him pay, but I had a little brother to worry about. Providing for him came first, which is how I ended up here. Don't think that it's all been roses for me, Yugi. Gozaburo Kaiba wasn't exactly a nice man."  
  
Yugi frowned. He remembered that Kaiba had been an orphan, and Mokuba had told him once about their abusive adoptive father. No, it hadn't been roses for them either. The part of Yugi that was screaming at him to stop became stronger. His grip on the gun loosened just a little bit.  
  
"You're not alone, Yugi, you never have been. You, too, have people to care for and take care of. All you have to do is let yourself feel for them again."  
  
Kaiba had gotten a bit closer to him and was now within reach.  
  
Suddenly, Yugi couldn't remember why he was doing any of this. All he remembered was that he missed his grandfather terribly. He missed his friends too. His eyes began to water and the hand holding the gun dropped, until Kaiba took the gun from him. Two security guards came out from behind the door and headed towards Hiroshi. Yugi watched them with interest, until Kaiba spoke.  
  
"He will pay for what he did, Yugi, you have my word."  
  
Yugi looked at Kaiba through tear filled eyes. His shaking became stronger, and he sunk to the ground. He felt as if he'd just woken up from a long, horrible nightmare.  
  
"My god, what was I about to do?"  
  
He began to sob, and was surprised when two strong arms wrapped themselves around him. He wrapped his own arms around Kaiba and let himself feel again.  
  
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."  
  
"There's nothing to be sorry about, Yugi. Nothing at all."  
  
**~~**  
  
Six months later  
  
"Mr. Moto, here are the latest security reports. They have to be turned in to Mr. Kaiba by the end of the day."  
  
Yugi looked up at the secretary, smiled at her and took the reports.  
  
"I'll have them signed and on your desk before then."  
  
She smiled and left his office.  
  
Yugi looked the reports over, sighing at the thickness of them. No doubt he'd be stuck in the office reading them for most of the day.  
  
It was ironic, he had to admit, to find himself working for Seto Kaiba at Kaiba Corp. He was a teenager and technically wasn't supposed to work. However, since Kaiba had helped him legally gain his independence after the incident with Hiroshi Rumi six months ago, which had allowed him to choose where he lived, he'd had to get a job to pay his expenses. His job at Kaiba Corp. paid very nicely, which meant that he didn't have to live with the worry of providing for himself. He'd kidded Kaiba a few times about making up this position just for him, but Kaiba had insisted that he'd been genuinely impressed with the research and work that had gone into finding Hiroshi, and he'd wanted Yugi to look at other parts of his security system to see what other loopholes there were and how to seal them. When Yugi had agreed to help, Kaiba had made it a paid and permanent position.  
  
*Aibou, are you okay?*  
  
Yugi smiled. That was Yami, always concerned. After the incident at the research labs six months ago, Yugi didn't blame the spirit. He still couldn't believe that had happened. The entire time, from his grandfather's death to that night in the lab, felt like a bad dream. He was fully aware of what had transpired, but he still couldn't fully believe what he had been driven to. He still woke up screaming sometimes from nightmares in which he'd shot the man in cold blood. The guilt he felt was tremendous, but with the help of his friends and his guardian spirit, he'd been able to slowly work through it.  
  
** I'm fine, Yami, just not happy about spending my Saturday at work**  
  
Yami chuckled. *Saturday is a day to play. Who knows, maybe you will get to do so later*  
  
Yugi smiled. Yami sounded like he knew something Yugi didn't, which was ridiculous. After all, whoever talked to Yami had to talk to him first, right?  
  
He was interrupted from further musings by a knock on the door.  
  
"Come in."  
  
Yugi looked up to see Seto Kaiba. The elder teen was frowning. He seemed ticked off and Yugi wondered what unlucky bastard had caused it.  
  
"What the hell are you still doing here?"  
  
"Huh?"  
  
Kaiba walked fully into the room and stopped in front of Yugi's desk.  
  
"Didn't you get my e-mail? There's a dinner tonight for some of our clients. You're supposed to be dressed in a tuxedo to go with me. Since I couldn't find a date because your security changes have kept me here all week, I'm making you pay for it."  
  
Yugi sighed, noticing for the first time that Kaiba was already dressed in a tuxedo. The only bad part of the job was Kaiba himself. The man had a very lousy and volatile temper, but Yugi had learned to ride it out.  
  
"Nope, I didn't get the e-mail. You should really have that checked out, you know."  
  
Kaiba glared. "Isn't that your department now?"  
  
Yugi nodded. "Yeah, I guess it is. I'll stay here while you go to your fancy dinner and see what the problem is, how's that?"  
  
"Oh, no you don't. I have to go to this thing and now so do you. Here," Kaiba threw a bag he'd been holding behind his back at him, and Yugi caught it clumsily.  
  
"That's your tuxedo. Get dressed and meet me downstairs in ten minutes."  
  
With that, Kaiba left the office as quickly as he'd come.  
  
*I don't think I'm ever going to get used to that, Yugi. I rather liked it better when we never saw him*  
  
** Yeah, I know what you mean**  
  
Ten minutes later, as instructed, Yugi was downstairs. Kaiba immediately dragged him into the limousine and they took off. They arrived at one of Domino's most exclusive restaurants and quickly got out. The place seemed empty, which was strange, since they were meeting clients. Kaiba quickly led him to the door and pushed him inside. Yugi was about to protest the mistreatment, but stopped as soon as he saw the inside of the restaurant.  
  
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"  
  
Yugi was speechless. All of his friends, and quite a few coworkers, were standing around dressed in their best clothes, grinning at him. They clapped at his surprise and then burst into laughter.  
  
"See, we got him! I told you he'd have no clue."  
  
Yugi turned and spotted Joey, who was heading towards him. His best friend looked very different dressed in a black tuxedo. Joey motioned for the rest of their friends to come with him and they followed.  
  
Yugi felt a hand on his arm and turned towards Kaiba, who was now smiling.  
  
"Sorry about the way I dragged you over here. The mutt here forgot to get you here and when I arrived and found out you were still at work, I went and got you myself. Happy sixteenth birthday, Yugi."  
  
Yugi smiled, a lump in his throat. He didn't know what to say. He'd forgotten about the birthday himself, so he was very surprised that the others had remembered. After the way he'd treated them, he was surprised they were still his friends.  
  
"So, I take it you were surprised?"  
  
"Yeah, Joey, I was. I've had so much on my mind that I even forgot it was my birthday."  
  
*I didn't* Yam said, his tone one of self satisfaction. *I can communicate with the tomb robber, remember? Ryou did the rest*  
  
Yugi grinned and addressed Ryou.  
  
"Yami's rather smug about the whole thing. Thanks, Ryou."  
  
Ryou grinned. "Are you kidding? I knew your birthday was coming up, I just couldn't remember the date. When I mentioned it to Joey, he immediately knew. When he told Kaiba, everything was set. What scares me is that Yami and Bakura can talk to each other without us knowing. Who knows what they've been arguing about?"  
  
Inside his mind, Yugi heard Yami chuckle. *That is for us to know and for you two to wonder about*  
  
Yugi looked at all of his friends, his heart swelling with joy and gratefulness for all of them.  
  
"I'm so sorry about the way I treated you for all those months," he told them. "You didn't deserve it and there's nothing I can ever do to make up for it."  
  
Tea came up to him and hugged him.  
  
"There's nothing to be sorry about, Yugi. Just continue to get better, that's all we ask."  
  
"I will do my best, I promise. I won't shut you guys out ever again."  
  
He looked at all of them and smiled widely. He then took a deep breath, looked around the rest of the room and made his way fully into the restaurant, prepared to move on with his day, and the rest of his life.  
  
THE END  
  
Song credit: I Grieve, by Peter Gabriel  
  
**~~**  
  
There you have it. Not so short and not so sweet. I hope that it was enjoyable anyway, and feel free to leave a comment on your way out! 


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